Taylor watches as Stags win easily

Dane Cleaver was left stranded on 99 not out as the Central Stags opened their Ford Trophy campaign with a nine-wicket win, reducing the returning Ross Taylor’s role to that of a specialist fielder.

Listed to bat at four, Taylor was padded up and ready to go but an unbeaten 122-run partnership between Will Young and

Cleaver saw the Stags cruise past the Otago Volts’ 157 at University Oval in Dunedin yesterday.

Following his retirement from international cricket last summer, Taylor has returned for his 20th consecutive season of cricket, turning out for the Central Stags in the domestic 50-over format.

But the Black Caps great was relegated to the dressing room as Cleaver sent a reminder to the national selectors of just how devastating he can be at the top order in white ball cricket.

Cleaver, the Stags’ keeper, hit the winning runs with a thick edge down to the third man boundary to leave him on 99 not out from only 71 balls in a brutal knock that included 16 fours and three sixes.

The Volts were always going to struggle to defend 157 but a dominant Clever, who was in the Black Caps T20 set up as recently as July, took the game away from Otago in the first 10 overs, closing out the opening Ford Trophy match of the season on the first ball of the 23rd over.

In Dunedin: Otago Volts 157

(Max Chu 45, Josh Finnie 37; Brett Randell 3-33 Blair Tickner 3-49) lost to Central Stags 159-1

(Dane Cleaver 99 not out, Will Young 37 not out) by nine wickets.